


To Build & Grow Something Good

by HonestLaughter8



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: BAMF Tony Stark, Civil War Team Iron Man, M/M, Magic, Not A Fix-It, Not Beta Read, Not Steve Friendly, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Stony, Post-Black Panther (2018), Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Salty author, Unrequited Love, need a beta
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-04 08:58:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14016777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HonestLaughter8/pseuds/HonestLaughter8
Summary: "To Plant A Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow" - Audrey HepburnTony is a futurist, a being that lives and breathes in aid of a better tomorrow. As such a being he has been chosen to begin a new garden and with his true family, he will grow the most extraordinary things. Perhaps even find a use for those old weeds creeping the walls of his new found sanctuary.[Please be patient with me, this is my first fan-fiction in this fandom, I haven't written anything in years and am in need of a Beta]CHAPTERS 1-6 HAVE BEEN REWRITTEN!





	1. Pepper & Rhodey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "To Plant A Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow" - Audrey Hepburn
> 
> Tony is a futurist, a being that lives and breathes in aid of a better tomorrow. As such a being he has been chosen to begin a new garden and with his true family, he will grow the most extraordinary things. Perhaps even find a use for those old weeds creeping the walls of his new found sanctuary.
> 
> [Please be patient with me, this is my first fan-fiction in this fandom, I haven't written anything in years and am in need of a Beta]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS NEEDS A BETA! If you find anything off please let me know! Please be kind in your reviews! I have a few ideas for stories but this is just one off a large list I have been meaning to write.
> 
> **Currently being re-written, New chapters will be added by 3/31**  
> -Updated 3/21-

_I don’t know what is wrong._ __  
  
When Tony came home, Pepper was prepared for the yelling, the crying, the utter flurry of destruction she had been privy to after every disaster. She was ready for everything to come crashing down when she watched the footage of Siberia. Tony was a phoenix and from the ashes, he would be reborn before her eyes. This time though, it never came. 

The man that emerged instead held himself as if the American Paragon hadn’t almost murdered him. After being in Dr. Lieber’s care for 2 weeks of willing isolation, Tony silently surfaced looking as though he had been at the spa all this time. To an untrained eye, he seemed a perfect vision of health and charm, but to her something was  _ off _ . The hairs on her neck stood up when in the midst of his new glamour, less then a second, he wore that  _ look _ .

Now, it was never pointed at her, but instinctual terror crept up her spine. She felt like his teeth were sharper, too white and threatening even… his eyes clouded with momentary dangerous intent. She followed his hands, as though they could just snap out breaking her before she could register the movement. And she wasn’t alone if the Rhodey’s apprehensive look towards their billionaire's back when he wasn’t looking was anything to go on. 

Tony promised he would explain everything tonight, with Vision and Rhodey who had been released home this week in that damn wheelchair. Poor Vision hadn’t wanted to come out, and Tony forbade her from trying to convince him further. Since coming home, Tony had spent time with the young android. ‘At least Rhodey came… but maybe it would have been better if he had stayed with Vision’. Tony didn’t outwardly acknowledge it but his illusion slipped just a bit when his ears picked up the squeaky wheel lock throughout the night. ‘As if it had been his fault’, seeing his soften sad gaze going back to the gunmetal hand rims all evening reminded her of her Tony. The man who worried himself mad every time the Colonel went on overseas deployment. He wasn’t hers anymore, not in that sense, but she would always love him as one of her best friends. 

Pepper was so preoccupied with her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed Tony sliding next to her,“Hey Pep, who do I need to speak to next?”. She took a second to compose herself before mechanically responding “The UN Representative of Japan, Mr. Bessho, and his country’s Minister of Defense, Mr. Onodera; had inquiries in installation and data collection to the energy shield we have in developments since they would be an ideal candidate due to their territory size, don’t forget we are also attempting to smooth over tensions with Germany so try to have them join the conversation as well if you can ” with a brief nod, he made his way to Japan’s representatives. 

Pepper needed to concentrate on being Virginia Potts: CEO for SI, and not on Pepper worrying about recent uneasy feelings from her friend this past month. So she made her own rounds to the numerous UN Representatives, Prime Ministers, and the occasional Head General. This she was confident in. Tony wasn’t half dead, he wasn’t shattered or self-destructive. Shouldn't she be happy he is ok? 

Right?

_ I knew what I signed up for, I don’t need your pity. _   
  
It took remembering  _ every. single. asshole. _ who had treated him like he didn’t deserve the position he had earned. Every racist, bigoted, rotten person who couldn’t see past the color of his skin or his long-enduring friendship to a certain genius, fueled him with restraint from snarling at all who took one glance at his wheelchair, with faces morphing quickly into pity. 

It was driving him nuts, all the effort put into just looking at his face and not his transportation, and Tony’s downcasted glances was not helping. He just wanted to smack his best friend, he knew as well as James did. Rhodes had been in the military long enough to know men like him didn’t leave until forced to, and that hadn’t happened yet! Not that he wasn’t expecting being informed of his Honorable Discharge any day now if he was being honest. ‘That or they’ll place me in a supervisory role in hope to obtain a  _ new pilot _ for War Machine… like Tony would allow anyone else access, god damn, what a mess’. 

Along with mulling over his future job security, he had to deal with his injuries. Between the major surgery, his trauma and physical therapy he hadn’t been able to really come home. But now that he was, Rhodey wouldn’t let himself dwell on how simple things seemed so much harder, even stairs were absolutely panic-inducing. ‘No no not now’, he wasn't thinking about it tonight, not on his first night back.    


Seeing Pepper earlier had been a shock, God what had he missed. She was a flicker to the former fire that blazed beside Tony usually. When their eyes met, it was clear how worried she was. She was worrying herself to death over something and fear kept making its way on her thin frame. He couldn’t reach out to her yet but made a silent promise he’d be there for _both_ his dear friends.   
Even with Tones offer of rescheduling the UN meeting or even letting him skip with Viz, he knew that it was his and Pep’s responsibility to make sure everything worked smoothly, while physically showing support of Tony. As soon as everyone was gone, the remaining Avengers plus Pepper would have a talk about the next steps they needed to take. ‘As a _real_ team’.   


With the media labeled ‘Civil War’, not only was the American military and government concerned but the World at large needed answers. Besides that, James needed answers about Siberia and about how Tony was holding up. Pepper had tried to tell him over the phone when he first got out of surgery but without seeing the footage himself, there was little he could understand in Pep’s upset rambling. What he had figured out is that Tones went as a friend, against the accords, and came out too close to death at the hands of 2 super soldiers. 

The photos of the armor left no imagination of what had been slammed over and over into the arc reactor that Rhodes saw red. He had to control his breathing while remembering that Tony didn’t have the reactor in his chest anymore. Mentally he wasn’t free from the anger he felt towards Captain America. Rogers had crushed his best friend’s heart but almost physically after ripping into it emotionally. ‘Don’t think of that, not what Stane did but _ pretty fucking close _ ’ some darker part of his mind snarled at the time. It had made him want to crawl back into War Machine and show Rogers the type of firepower came to blast you in the face when you crossed  **_his_ ** _ best fucking friend _ . 

He had to remember that this is what separates him and Rogers, a legend that had inspired thousands to serve their country only to break one of their oldest codes of conduct, of human decency: ‘No Man Left Behind’. In his 138 missions as War Machine and even during his standard military deployment, the thought of leaving a man behind, even an enemy turned his stomach. 

He would do everything to aid Tony, but he knew when that loyalty turned from Trust into Blind Faith. He slept easier at night knowing the kind of person he had picked to love would never ask for blind faith. If anything Tony encouraged others to fight him if they didn’t fully trust his actions. That attitude added to his long guilt over his weapons landing in the wrong hands without his his knowledge, it was no wonder he supported the Accords. 

For now, his personal feelings on that would have to wait until the ExAvengers were located and he got it from Tony what was going on. A part of his worry was that his idiot genius had experimented on himself in order to keep working on the Accords. Not that he wasn’t happy with Tony still breathing, but the consequences of the actions taken from a desperate man were something he needed to know. It would help him plan ahead to be able to support the kid he had believed in since he first met him at MIT. While he would always be loyal to the man, he would also make sure his ambitious friend didn’t take everything on his shoulders on anymore. ‘Family helps lighten the load, that’s what we are here for,  _ Always’ _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS NEEDS A BETA! If you find anything off please let me know! Please be kind in your reviews! I have a few ideas for stories but this is just one off a large list I have been meaning to write.


	2. Siberia Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS NEEDS A BETA! If you find anything off please let me know! Please be kind in your reviews! I have a few ideas for stories but this is just one off a large list I have been meaning to write.
> 
> ' ' will be non-vocal thoughts " " is vocal!
> 
> [Fair warning, Tony is not a simpering creature, he was once known as a Merchant of Death. Even if he is for good now, that drive and skill is lurking within. So he is a little viscous this chapter]
> 
> **Currently being re-written, New chapters will be added by 3/31**  
> \- Updated 3/21!

_Let Me Die_

 

It was the icy tightness in his jaw that roused him from his painful sleep. Within seconds he had cataloged numerous injuries, a swollen eye with its partner sealed shut from the cold, his chest compacted and twisted around the ‘dent’, no response in his hands besides a weak shiver. Tony was almost able to get through his review without thinking of why he was there, let alone who had put in such a state. He had a momentary flash of shame of his breakdown before the diminishing flicker of fury grew within his mind blazed to life followed by a litany of rage:

‘Are you there God? Could you even bother to exist for just a second? _Fuck You_ and while I’m at it,fuck perfect fucking Rogers and his fucking murderous fuck boy… if there was a God, you should have against all fucking odds made it so I never laid eyes on that All-American _Asshole._

 _I gave them everything_. Barton, what was he even doing involved? He was INFORMED that SI was helping support after the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D along with _everyone else_ that got burned by that shit show, but fuck it. **Never got a fucking call about that by the way!** Natasha had everything she ever desired at her fingertips like she _deserved_ it, but it was always _my_ **_ego_** ruining everything.

Oh the Witch manipulated my guilt from Stane’s illegal bull’ and got off scot-free from Ultron because she’s a kid, **_yeah fucking right_ ** 26 years old _child_ . After of course fucking inside my skull, but no matter what I did, to fucking ATONE, it was thrown in my face. What about my kids? Why do these vultures keep hurting my… Vision, Rhodey, Peter, J.A.R.V.I.S…. they never deserved any of this bullshit! I have had to pay with blood for every error perceived by these assfucks for years! Oh but _now_ they started a fight over being told we need a REAL system because this shit isn’t working!

And then there is fucking Ste- **Rogers** ! I gave him a place to live, to train… Hell, I offered him a chance at some independence from S.H.I.E.L.D, which he just threw back in my face. But _still,_ I made sure his whole cross-country trip with his little devotee was all handled and paid for... which you know wha- He… That absolute fucking brute was searching for the monster thAT ST **RANGLED** **_MY MOTHER!_ **

I can’t believe I took one look at those big blue eyes, that boyish _smile...and thought maybe we cou-_ no... and took every word as gospel to the point I trusted he was my fucking FRIEND. Fuck you lying sack of shit, Howard spent his life trying to bring you home and you knew. **_You Fucking Knew._ **

Did it even cross your reptile brain for one second to tell me? Would you have EVER told me?! TWO WHOLE YEARS of you knowing and you **_let_ ** me keep _funding_ _the fucking crusade_ to bring your murderous best friend home. **FUCK**!’

It frustrated him more that Rogers had **won** , and Tony was going to die here by the handiwork of those two test tube animals. But beneath that molten anger he felt that icy sadness trickle through the cracks of his mind.

‘Why does everything I touch turn to ash, was that Witch right? No, I’m not going to How about this; Universe! Let's end it right the fuck here!’ He felt his soft dark chuckle rattle his shredded ribcage… I just want to see **_mia Madre_ ** again. I want- I want… yellow tea, soft sweet singing, the clumsy sounds of piano followed by skilled notes in the air. I want to hear the frantic scratching of pencil to paper, quiet muttering of new ideas and taps of metal like a symphony only Howa- **Dad** knew to conduct. Anything please…

Universe, or God, or whatever sadist is pulling the strings, just end it... _Let me die_ at the summit of all my failures and sins leading up to this shitfest. If you don’t let me die here, I will get up and use everything in my goddamn power to finish what I started. **_There isn’t enough left of me to fucking care anymore_ **.’

Tony could hear the helicopter outside of the building, FRIDAY must have sent rescue. His thoughts sobered as he gave into the Universe’s choice. ‘Fine. No rest for the wicked I guess. **I am a Futurist** , I’ll be damned if the world doesn’t get the best defense while I am still kicking. I don’t get to abandon everyone, I can’t just leave the world to Mr. _our hands are the best hands_ mercy’

Tony felt people moving his body with a type of heaviness, he soon fell back into slumber as his body drank in the warmth surrounding him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still Un-Beta'd! Major Edit 3/21 (Split chapter 2 in two parts)
> 
> THIS NEEDS A BETA! If you find anything off please let me know! Please be kind in your reviews! I have a few ideas for stories but this is just one off a large list I have been meaning to write.


	3. Tony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS NEEDS A BETA! If you find anything off please let me know! Please be kind in your reviews! I have a few ideas for stories but this is just one off a large list I have been meaning to write.
> 
> ' ' will be non vocal thoughts " " is vocal!
> 
> **Currently being re-written, New chapters will be added by 3/31**  
> Updated as of 3/22!

_This is a signal to your planet, it is time for a higher order_

 

When Tony found himself blinking up to hospital lights, he was very vocal about getting him Dr. Lieber immediately. Lawrence Lieber was not only a long time friend but the only Physician Tony trusted anywhere near him medically. As soon as Tony had arrived at the facility Larry was immediately called in in order to supervise all contact with his patient. “Lars, why do we always seem to meet like this?” the older Romanian man quietly snorted at his charge.

Over the years, Lawrence became used to seeing past the shiny outside that was Tony Stark. It wasn’t hard seeing as he was usually met with the hero in need of medical care. “Mr. Stark, my staff has signed the usual forms, however, do you think it wise to bar all visitors? It could help with the grieving process.” Dr. Liebar was not one to parse his words, but while he had seen Mr. Stark many conditions, he felt that the looming decision to leave the non-responsive nerves alone or to amputate them all together would truly break the young man.

The idea of losing his greatest tools brought the mood in both men low. “No Larry, not now. I need to plan where to go from here…” in the last 2 days, Tony had found himself lost in thought more and more. ‘Dr. Cho agreed with Lars, the damage was too extensive as well as the delicate nerves damaged from a mixture of frostbite and exposure to the metal in his suit over the hours was too precise for the cradle to be any help. But I can’t just give the green light to… lose a large chunk of myself just yet…’. Tony battled with knowing what needed to be done and sentimental value his overworked palms had gained in his lifetime. Calloused, scared, burnt, loved, and now no longer functioning. His hands were more than tools, they were half of who was. He built and tore down the future, if onl-’

“Mr. Stark? I will be leaving the facility for the night. I would ask you reconsider at least allowing Ms. Potts to visit. She is truly an… assertive woman when she is denied. My staff, however, have held strong for you, no worries.” He waved the elderly man goodbye before focusing on the data pulled by Friday. On one screen he watched Vision looking over the balcony almost unmoving for another evening. Another screen showed him Rhodey’s paperwork for PT and trauma therapy. With a quick nod, the approval was filed away. Friday had been working on tracking his head movements instead of his hands these last few days.

“Boss? Pepper is attempting to visit you again, should I allow her entry this time?” FRIDAY’s unsure voice filtered through the hospital room’s TV speakers. He shook his head “No Baby-girl. Go chat with Vision” “Boss, She has been wai-” “Mute till morning FRI”. He closed his eyes and tried to mentally convey his thoughts to wherever his CEO was currently.

‘Pepper, I’m sorry but I need time… I don’t know what I am going to do, and Rhodey, I don’t kno- I need to fi- Platypus your legs… how can I begin to fix things when I’ve lost my hands? People are putting their faith in me when I can’t even hold a cup of water.’ He felt so frustrated, tears rapidly slid down his still fresh stitches littering his jaw.

 

“Greetings, Son of Stark”

 

His eyes shot open, pulse went from 0-100 in a moment. He scrambled for a second in alarm as he found a young girl sitting on the visitor bench against the window. He wanted to call the nurses, anyone but he couldn’t rip his eyes from her. She was small with golden hair and on further inspection, she was not a child he thought. The more Tony looked at her the more she seemed to fluctuate between a teen or an adult but her hair was unchanged.

"Who are you? Look I don't know how you got in here. But you need to leave now." The woman ignored his words and moved to stand at the foot of his bed. 

“I have watched thee over the short span of your human life, you remind me of my sweet Bragi, another master artist of words and language but you also craft with flame kin to those of the great forges of Brokkr and Sindri, and now you are to be called to a greater talent.” Her fond smile fell, but she continued “Asgard has fallen and those who dwelled within its golden plane will come upon yours. Midgard is in need of a new order. You, Anthony Son of Stark are called for your talents and conviction to order. It is time for a new garden to grow. Do you accept?”

It felt as though this was not a question. ‘Wha-what, Asgard has fallen? Where is Thor? Accept what?’ even with these questions running through his mind, he felt his mouth fall to form a weak “yes”. Instantly she was hovering over him and shoving something to his lips, he was entranced in her eyes that until this moment he had unconsciously avoided and now he could do nothing but get lost into the vast jungle they were. He barely registered the fact he was eating other than the sensation of cold juice dripping from the sides of his mouth.

 

“Sleep Son of Stark and we will begin your first lesson” and so he did just that.


	4. Beginning of Explanations & Vision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Currently being re-written, New chapters will be added by 3/31**  
> -Updated 3/23-  
> Vision was not included in the 1st posting of this chapter, but I decided to include his POV.

_I trust you with my life, even if I don't trust you with your own sometimes_

From the backseat of Happy’s limo, Rhodey felt the dread he’d kept at the back of his mind make itself known. The cold sweat on his palms stuck to the leather seats as he waited for the others. He felt his fingers tense and relax in a pattern when a bleak thought shot across his mind, _his legs couldn’t fidget anymore_. It was a such a strange thing to mourn and yet the hysterical chuckles came up his throat. His minor panic was interrupted by the car door swinging open.

All the noise rushed into the cabin and took James back to where he currently was. “FRIDAY, What’s their ETA?” “They should be exiting the building in approximately 3 minutes, Colonel. Are you experiencing any discomfort? Boss made sure that the mini-fridge was stocked with Smirnoff Cola if you should desire a drink” he cracked a smile and grabbed one of the small cans. The Vodka premix went down smooth and cooled his nerves for the time being.

He watched his two closest friends make a grand exit that was nothing less than expected. They weaved and evaded the crowd of reporters with grins till finally sliding inside the car. From where he sat, Rhodes could here the sharks demanding comments on various hot-button topics; the latest Accords announcements, Tony’s concealed hospital records, and most of all on where the ExAvengers were lurking now.

Soon only the engines quiet purr was the only sound to their ears. He had to bite the inside of his cheek not to demand answers here and now. Tony had sworn to disclose everything once they returned to the tower but still…. The genius needed to let all of the people that supported him _fucking_ **_help_ **. “No disappearing to the lab tonight buddy, FRIDAY can you inform Viz that we are en route?” “Of course, Boss you wanted to be informed when the official renovations were completed, estimated completion will be tomorrow at approximately 3 o’clock pm. Should the crewmen begin Stage 2 to overlap the post-construction cleaning services?”

James could feel his face mirror Pepper’s pinched lips, meaning she was also in the dark on what Tony had changed in Stark Tower. The billionaire took in their faces before approving his AI assistants suggestion. The rest of the car ride into Manhattan was filled with tense silence. Once in the garage, Vision was there to meet them with a wheelchair prepared for the Colonel. Happy gave Pepper’s hand a squeeze before letting her make her way to the private elevator. The 3 remaining Avenger followed her up.

The elevator ride was a jumble of conflicting emotions. Rhodey confused with a stomach full of knots, Pepper wringing her hands being a jumpy frightened thing, Vision a picture of eerie calmness and worst of it was Tony. He was vibrating, fluttering creature who was losing the fight of a grin on his face.  

Pepper immediately scanned the room for changes that her ex had alluded to in the car. But she couldn’t really spot anything new, aside from how clean the tower was. She looked at Rhodes in his Stark Brand wheelchair and it almost made her smile that Tony had likely already upgraded it with personal touches to make the injured man’s life easier.

‘But it was really was too **_clean_ ** in here…’, she knew that the Avengers had lived in the tower for a while until moving into the compound but now it felt as if not even Tony and Vision had been living here. She switched her focus to Vision’s tranquil frame as he led them to the sitting area. Vision pushed James then sunk himself into one of the grey armchairs.  

* * *

_I have stayed up countless nights repeating your name hoping that you will mean less to me with each breath_

The call from Mr. Stark was unexpected but not unwelcome. Never unwelcome, he had been left to his own devices for too long. Vision had found no peace in his solitude but never found the desire to leave. Where would he go? His chest hurt to think of seeing the crater created from Wan- _Scarlet Witch’s_ impulsive attack on him.

She had asked him what he wanted, and he had told her the truth. He wanted people out there in the real world to see her like Vision did. He had been doing everything in his power to make the period advised to keep her profile low more comfortable and then Hawkeye breached the facility. He had things well handled when Barton rallied the young woman he had considered his friend - _maybe something more-_ into **_driving him through_ ** multiple concrete floors before making her escape.

Had that changed his opinion of her completely, then maybe the Colonel would have never been injured. Maybe if he left his personal feelings outside of the airport, his team would have completed the mission without much property damage or the some of the Rogues slipping through their hands. But that didn’t happen, he still caused Rhodes to fall from the sky, for Wanda to drop a vehicle carrier on his teammates. So he stayed in the silent penthouse with FRIDAY and his own guilt to keep him company.

Mr. Stark calling him from the hospital with a quick invitation visit today if possible. Vision made his way to the hospital heavy in thoughts of the last few weeks actions and reviewing the Rogues' misguided motivations. He had connected with FRIDAY when Tony had returned from Siberia but unlike the man’s other allies, he did not push against Mr. Starks wishes to be alone. He was able to inquire from his ‘sister’ about what happened in Siberia. She had not wanted to burden him but soon Vision watched the horrific footage.

It was then he could _feel_  the amber shards of his predecessor JARVIS pulse within his veins. On the way to the medical facility, Vision turned over his reaction to the video in his mind. He had felt a sudden burning in his chest, a violent desire to make the super-soldiers **_stop beating_ ** the down man.

Now that he stood outside Tony’s private rooms, it was proving difficult to enter knowing how his semi-creator ended up here. _“The best hands are our own”,_ he remembered hearing the Captain saying this but Tony’s condition was proof otherwise. If Mr. Stark who was the Captain's _friend_ , his _teammate_ , and Rogers didn’t hesitate to **strike him down** then what hope did anyone else have? Were the common people meant to accept that their protectors could turn on them simply because the ‘superhero’ held a better advantage in a fight?

It reminded him of Scarlet Witch’s when he told her that the world would never stop being afraid of her and her power. _“I can’t control their fear, only my_ **_own_ ** _.”_ He now saw it for what it was that gave the Rogue Avengers justification for their actions. It was **_arrogance_** in their own morality and judgment without any oversight.

But he followed a man who knew the dangers in a lack of structure and procedure while attuned to the attitudes formed in regards to super-powered individuals. Tony saw the oncoming tidal wave of hatred that would come crashing on all their hard work if he did not plan for it with the Accords. Being an active part of them meant the Avengers would have input on what would make its way into the official legislation. This would make a precedent for future generations of super-powered people across the planet. It made the Android Entity frustrated in the Captain’s faulty reasoning, how could Rogers view his actions as anything posi-

“Viz? You’ve been standing outside for a while… I was going to let you come in when you were ready but it’s been at least 20 min. I'm surprised there isn’t a hole in the door from your intense stair. Seriously, _you have to blink_ , humans like some blinking.” Tony’s voice came over the speaker system above him. Dwelling on the past would do no good, besides he had become lost in thought from his visit of Mr. Stark because of it. Vision walked in to see Tony sitting up smiling at him and a honeyed hair woman sitting beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS NEEDS A BETA! If you find anything off please let me know! Please be kind in your reviews! I have a few ideas for stories but this is just one off a large list I have been meaning to write.


	5. Explanations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok little bit of a long chapter to get the ball rolling. Sorry!!  
> If you would be interested in beta'ing this story please PM me!
> 
> "To Plant A Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow" - Audrey Hepburn
> 
> Tony is a futurist, a being that lives and breathes in aid of a better tomorrow. As such a being he has been chosen to begin a new garden and with his true family he will grow the most extraordinary things. Perhaps even find a use for those old weeds creeping the walls of his new found sanctuary.
> 
> [Please be patient with me, this is my first fan-fiction in this fandom, I haven't written anything in years and am in need of a Beta]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS NEEDS A BETA! If you find anything off please let me know! Please be kind in your reviews! I have a few ideas for stories but this is just one off a large list I have been meaning to write.
> 
> **Currently being re-written, New chapters will be added by 3/31**  
> \- Updated 3/24!

_Gather your tools, Son of Stark, you will need them at the ready_

He and Vision were a glaring contrast to the other occupants of the room. While Pepper and himself held themselves back with a mixture apprehension, maybe fear? ‘Man I’ll need to tone it down when I’m out and about’ he thought. Vision sat next to him a mixture of subdued calm and was that a small wave of excitement? ‘Yeah me too buddy, me too’ Tony was excited to get the ball rolling and he couldn’t do that without his 2 greatest allies.

Like a monarch gathering his generals, he too needed to regroup with the people who gave a **_damn_ ** about their home. ‘No more shady organizations, or trust based on a feeling,...’ he could already see in his mind those he would be inviting to whatever this was going to be. He watched his best friend gear himself to break the silence. The weight in his pocket comforted him. ‘Showtime Darling’.

* * *

 

_This lone gunslinger act is unnecessary... you don't have to do this alone!_

“Tony, where would you like to begin” there was just a bit of steel in his voice, but Rhodes needed Tony to see he wasn’t in a lenient mood. “No no _Honey-Bear_ , this isn’t my rodeo, what do you need to know? I’m an open book, honestly ” He couldn’t keep his eyebrow from raising, skeptical of the genius. Tony just _had_ to sing-song his pet name and it felt like this was just another late night chat, he felt his shoulders relax a bit. ‘I hope you know how much I trust you Tones’, silently he gave a look to the man, and with a sigh Tony proceeded.   
  
“So alright, let me just get you guys up to speed, FRI you got this?” Immediately a small blue hologram appeared at the coffee table for the group to look at. “Now, it’s been about a month or so since Siberia. I know I know,” Tony stopped him with a finger from asking to see the Iron Man Footage, “I _promise_ you’ll see the highlight reel before anyone else does.”

_‘Tony_ … why is it so _like_ you to make everything not a big deal that actually is a big deal?’ Rhodey thought while spotting his own face clustered under a header of ALLIES with Vision, Pep, Happy, a guy sporting his own impressive goatee and the spidey kid still in uniform. ‘Nice to know most of these faces’ he thought before turning back to Tony’s presentation.

“Yeah, yeah Viz, I’m going. When I got home I needed time to just _cope_ I guess? I barred any visitors but guess what? I got a doozy of a visitor” he paused for a second smile widening on his features, He could see the frown on Pepper’s face while Tony pushed on “She did not register on FRIDAY’s camera’s and according to her logs it was a malfunction” “Sorry Boss” Tony’s good girl chimed in only to be waved off. “No problem FRIDAY, me and you just need to develop a way to spot magic! Maybe Strangey-boy can help with that, make a note for me, now where was I?” He my visitor came bearing news from _Asgard -_ can you believe it? I’m known now on more than just Earth! I knew I was a big deal but _still_ \- but she let me know that they would need our aid as soon as possible.” He shuffled his hand into his pocket.

“Who was she, Tony? Vision?” James looked to the android for clarification but the smell of citrus caught his attention to look at his best friend. Tony had pulled out and was unpeeling an orange before acknowledging Rhodes’ pointed stare. “Hey Platypus, want some? Here you can have it I’ll just grab another from the kitchen,” he threw the fruit while Pepper finally joined the conversation. “ **_Tony_ ** , you better not try to split we nee-”, she cried and it was comedic to see him look so plastically offended, “Pepper! The very idea! I’m still in eyesight _mom_ _,_ do you want anything? I’m feeling peckish, Vision?”. Vision shook his head but the redhead didn’t answer his joshing but turn to keep her eyes on him.

Rhodey could hear the sounds of chopping behind him as Tony continued. “So here is the plan: **First Phase** is Vision, hopefully my Platypus, and I are going to be moving to the old Stark Mansion. From there, we will be focusing on two pet projects I have been working while you, Ms. Potts, will be navigating a press release of _everything_ we have.” he gestured to the hologram highlighting the recent purchase of a large plot of government land in Hedmark. Rhodey did not to think not about the many favors Tony called in for it.

“No more covering for all of Captain America’s _good little soldiers_ ’ mistakes. The ride is over for them, they will just have to be content with their **_new_** **_sugar daddy_**.” He said that last bit with such a sour face that Rhodes just wanted to laugh but had his mouth full of sweet fruit. ‘I didn’t think I was hungry, but that hit the spot’ he thought and waved his arm behind him, hoping Tony saw it “Tones, grab me a bowl of whatever you're making” a pause in the chopping before he heard “sure Rhodey-Bear”. It didn’t escape James the fondness radiating from the slightly younger man.

Pepper, however, was more focused as she went over the information, “What exactly are you hoping to build in Norway? You have already begun construction but why? And what exactly does Asgard need from us? Where is Thor?” she demanded.

“Honestly, Pep? I’m building a city. Listen, Asgard is no more and we need to be prepped for refugees in the next month or two. I’m already talking with Norwegian Government and have been asked to keep it quiet until it is completed” an exaggerated sigh escaped Tony before continuing, “As for Thor, I have no idea other then he is en route with said refugees. And that has to  _stay between us_ **_guys_**. The UN thinks Thor reached out to me informing that his planet had been destroyed and they are working on all the legalities… Relax Pepper, have some fruit. No Strawberries, I swear”.   
He plopped back between Pepper and the armrest with a large bowl of cut fruit. Rhodes stole a few grapes and chunks of watermelon, Vision nibbled experimentally on some honeydew slices while Pepper had toothpicked all the pineapple.

“ **Second Phase** : We -meaning Vision, War Machine, SI and Iron Man _professionally-_ will be making a public announcement ASAP. With this single purpose; to open recruitment for the New Avengers with us establishing an in-training sector for those too young etc, to work with the Accords. In rebuilding this we need to start off with a real policy and chain of command as well as options for Supers who don't want to do Avengering but need help not becoming a danger to those around them.”

Rhodes watched Tony’s face fill with conviction and straightened up. “Now more than ever, we **need** the Super-Powered Community to be seen by the public working alongside normal people trying to keep the peace. To show what they bring to the table for humanity, that they **deserve** the same civil rights as any other person, powered or not. Because I still believe that we need to defend ourselves for whatever is **_coming_ **.” He rested a hand on James’ knee, looking at his closest confidante with a tone of seriousness.

“Rhodey, I want you to lead the New Avengers, alongside Major Carol Danvers. Hey, FRI? Do we have that meeting set up yet?” “Not yet, Boss, She is still in the middle of debriefing and should see our message when she returns home early tomorrow.” “Perfect, double check that she has all the poten-”

Tony was promptly cut off by Rhodes shooting out of his seat glowering at him, **_“What do you mean Lead the New Avengers?!_** I can’t even **walk** , Tony! What, wh-” he sputtered in anger, “-at do you _think?_ That I’m going to fucking **lead** from behind a desk? That I’d be **_fine_** watching my team go into battle _while_ **_I CAN’T!_** ”

Oh, now he was practically foaming at the mouth! James had hear some fucking bullshit out of Stark’s mouth, but this was going too far. He was pacing now, God he was so pissed that he just had to throw his hands up, and yell “TONY! Are you doing this out of some twisted sense of **guilt** or duty!” He shook the smaller man by the collar, James could strangle him!

“ **Iron Man** , Tony ‘ **_MOTHERFUCKING_ ** ’ Stark should be leading the New Avengers! I can’t _believe_ you thought I’d be ok with this! Who the **fuck** do you think you are, _Tony_ I swear if you **thi** -” He kept shaking the genius violently. He was going to give this idiotic superhero a piece of his mind when he caught him grinning ear to ear, eyes lit up like Christmas while he was rattled.“What are you **smiling** about!” Rhodes shouted, his anger overboiling, why did Tony never taking anything he was saying seriously! Then he heard Pep painfully croak out;   
  
“Oh my god, James! You’re walking!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS NEEDS A BETA! If you find anything off please let me know! Please be kind in your reviews! I have a few ideas for stories but this is just one off a large list I have been meaning to write.


	6. Good Dirt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might have a Beta soon? Unsure but here is to hoping!  
> [If you are still interested in Beta-ing let me know! Otherwise leave your corrections in the comments they help me so much thanks guys!
> 
> **Currently being re-written, New chapters will be added by 3/31**  
> \- Updated 3/24!

_ It felt like falling through the wormhole again _

Some nights he would find himself  **Home** . Not at Stark Tower nor at the now trashed Avengers Compound, which was never really  _ his  _ home… maybe someday, it could have been but no. To be honest, he hadn’t visited the mansion in a few years. He had brought Rogers here… he wanted to show him the things Howard had saved from the war. 

‘God I was so  _ stupid… _ no, he hadn’t known…  **_yet_ ** **_’_ ** , it was a bit after the Chitauri Invasion. A late night with Tony running from the nightmares and then Roger’s just sort of showed up in the kitchen. They ended up talking, Steve had been obviously trying not to step on his toes, when Tony blurted out that he had some of his old things. It  **stung** now how desperate he was for Rogers to  _ approve _ of him, to  _ like _ him. 

Steve had given him a boyish smile and they quickly made plans for the next morning to drive out to the old Stark Mansion. When they arrived, it hadn’t phased Tony but with Steve so energized beside him, it was like walking into somewhere brand new. They grabbed the boxes of Steve’s personal things and had a nice lunch on the back deck that lead out from his mother’s tea room. It was the beginning of a short lived tradition. Little outings with the super soldier, exploring museums and saw the sights... that ended when the asshole went off on his personal  _ crusade _ across the country. 

Now he is used to walking alone in the halls of an old empty mansion that has snippets of good memories hidden in it’s corners. Different memories were being remembered now, with new ones being made. But it had been a shock that first time  _ she _ had brought him here. The first time he arrived here was met with the well-crafted oak door of his father’s office. A flash of that painful ache of worn down hatred, held for over the last quarter century... but it just slumped over into sad regrets.

‘Rogers… you should have said something,  _ anything  _ . You were always defending the old man, at least until it was at the risk of your precious  _ Barnes  _ ’ he felt the angry snarls start to gain some traction in his mind.

“You must move” she had whispered in his ears. It helped keep those darker musings at bay and push his body towards his destination. He never really knew if she meant to  _ move on,  _ to  _ let it go _ . But he found some comfort knowing she would never outright tell him his rage was unjustified. On that first night, they spent curled up together in the tea room, while she sang quietly beside him. He felt his body sway under a gentle, unfamiliar lullaby watching streaks of gold flash beneath his closed eyelids.

* * *

“You must give to your garden, try again Anthony, I can sense you’re almost there”

“Give, got it. I am the Giving Tree, got me some Ol’ Granny Smith style right here” It was fucking hard, to **_give_** to the earth, but in a spiritual magic way. ‘No empirical thinking here, stop getting lost in the technical, just get a feeling’ shaking his head hoping to achieve the zen calmness he needed. Heavy breathing echoed in his cleared his mind, while he stood at the bottom of a crudely dug hole right in the pristine back lawn of the Stark Mansion.

Most of their nightly lessons were simple, just learning his new  _ awareness  _ he had been ‘bestowed’ as well as placing protections around his  _ garden _ . But then last session, he was directed to dig this hole using his bare hands. It was a drastic unexplained change to learning about different flora and memorizing her tricks of easing them out of the ground. When she had first approached him, he didn’t think by a garden she really meant all things green and alive. As a man of invention, it was challenging to wrap his head around it. But he was getting it, and it brought him a feeling of joy, that he hadn’t felt in awhile. While it was good hard labor that his body had been buzzing for, he spent too much of his time just  _ feeling  _ his fingertips again, almost finishing too late for their little ritual.

After most tasks, she would drag him to the tea room once more and she whisper her secrets before he dozed back to the waking world. “Ok Obi-wan... One more time, explain what I’m supposed to be doing here?” “How do expect this garden to give you good fruit, if you cannot give it what it desires? You will know when you give in, go on concentrate!” she shouted like the child she sometimes was.

Tony had stopped trying to figure out her age but her name was given some lessons ago. When they had worked putting in the little white flowers at the corners of the garden “Your people call it Queen Anne's Lace,  remember they are to mark the corners of your sanctuary?”

‘Jesus Christ! Don’t do that!” he snapped at her, she had spooked him appearing in his hole suddenly. “Now why have you joined me in this oh-so-comfortable place? I am trying to give here” Idunn was inspecting his handiwork before swiping at an uneven lump in the wall. “You should have made this smoother, it is unnecessary for this to be here,” frowning at the lump of mud in her hands she moved to throw it out of the hole when a hand stopped her.

“No. Give it back Idunn” he heard himself hiss at her. Tony didn’t understand it, the rapid sense of urgency, but that mud had to go back, it **_HAD TO GO BACK_**. Her motion, her disregarded for his _soil_ had instantly instilled a feeling of anger deep within him. In a blink of an eye, he snatched the pile of dirt and suddenly felt the hole collapse above him. Indunn was gone as he watched half petrified as the stars above disappeared from view. ‘ **No not again** ’ he felt the urge to scream. The Cave, The Wormhole, Ultron, Steve’s Shield with that haunting star crashing onto his chest. ‘ ** _I CAN'T BREATH_** ’ all he could do was inhale more and more dark sticky earth that was quickly drowning him.

The sensation that shot through him was like cardiac arrest, the **light** _leaving_ Yinsen’s eyes, Obie _removing his heart_ , his Bots _panicking_ trying to save him, Pepper turning _bright crimson_ with Extremis, watching the bright gold scraps of Jarvis _die_ , Rhodey _falling from the sky,_ Howards calling _anyone_ to help his wife, Maria _strangled_ until her bright eyes dulled. All he could hear were Yinsen’s last words like hash wind, “Don’t waste it, don’t waste your life”. He thought he had been living up to those words, but had he? His mind was too cluttered to answer the accusing question. All he could do was watch these moments over and over on perpetual until he was met with a vision of the garden, **His Garden** in flames but feeling as cold as that frigid Hydra base. Tony's ears picked up soft notes of a song amongst the chaos and he felt compelled to dig. He kept clawing his way to the surface as the memories kept assaulting him. He batted them away from his mind with the steady mantra “No. Not again. Never Again” folding over itself in his mind like steel tempered strong.

Breathing was such an intoxicating feeling that had Tony almost pause at just breaking the crust collapsed hole. But dragged his exhausted limp lower body out onto cold wet grass and began coughing up earth that had forced its way into him. Behind him he felt it growing and finally turned his head to look. A thin gray trunk sprang from the opening Tony had made and from it a young tree began to grow before his eyes. With dark mauve leaves sprouting from it’s branches and trunk swelling in size, it was a sight to behold. “It suit you Anthony Son of Stark” Tony couldn’t take his eyes off it,  _ her,  _ his addled mind corrected.

He felt a sense of immense pride wash over him and in his awe, it struck him he knew this feeling very well. He felt it when he had realized DUM-E had his first independent action in dragging Rhodey into their dorm room after his destructive drinking streak. He was always such a  _ Good Boy  _ , and then with U earning that fond nickname of ‘Butterfingers’ making the robot act so guilty in response, with Jarvis powering on for the first time with a  _ real  _ ‘Hello Sir’. Even Peter made this feeling of pride swell when he proved how much of a  _ better person  _ he was then countless adults. 

“Yeah she suits me Idun, because she is one of mine. And nothing bad will ever happen to her, not on my life” he finally understood what the Garden wanted. It had needed a heart and a promise to protect in return for it’s gifts. “Very good Anthony, we are almost done. It is time to reconnect to with your family”, she helped him to his feet. "There is no time for our usual chat, you will have to do without tonight, but I will be with you in the waking world today”. She turned to walk back inside the house, while Tony felt his energy renewed. Walking towards her, ‘  _ Amelia  _ , I’m naming her Amelia’, he felt as though one of her branches was hanging low as almost an offering and spotted 2 rich purple plums calling to him. He could see his girl was already thinking of their  _ family  _ and and for once felt joy on the morning horizon.

Tony woke up for the first time without any pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Queen Anne's Lace - Haven, sanctuary, complexity Plum Tree -Spring, New Beginnings, Immortality  
> Also am I the only one remembering that Tony called DUM-E a “Good Boy” in Iron Man 1? Also that there are only 2 Bots? U & DUM-E? I feel like I’m crazy, so if you know please correct me!  
> I might have a Beta soon? Unsure but here is to hoping!  
> [If you are still interested in Beta-ing let me know! Otherwise leave your corrections in the comments they help me so much thanks guys!]


	7. ExAvengers: Scott Lang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok! Back on track! Thank you guys SO much for all your comments and helping me with corrections! (Super Special thanks to ScarletNightFury for helping me with grammar!) Other special thanks to the following people as well! Your comments really helped!: DaughteriftheSilverMoon, Willj, Polkadottedgiraffe11, whomii2, and torajon. Thank you thank you!
> 
> Check me out on Tumblr: @runawaywithmeletsgo
> 
> PLEASE READ THE PREVIOUS 6 CHAPTERS BEFORE STARTING THIS ONE! EVERYTHING HAS BEEN REWRITTEN AND NEW INFORMATION HAS BEEN ADDED!

_And you thought you were special_

Scott had always been a take action sort-of guy. From his time at UCSF, Vistacorp Heist, fucking _Prison_ he had never been one to stand still, or do nothing. So when Captain America called him up- ok not really Cap, more like his friend, but _still an Avenger-_ he was ready to **drop and go**. I mean, come on! **_CAPTAIN AMERICA_** _needs my help?_ But then, well… the airport happened and it felt really good to do his part, help the Avengers save the world, even with half of them trying to stop them (god why didn’t he even think that was weird, seriously all he got was a ‘Stark is compromised’, he was such a dumbass). Man, it was like he was in some sort of bad spy movie saying shit like ‘It's your conscience. We don't talk a lot these days’ while fucking with the IRON MAN ARMOR.

A part of him had thought if there was **_any_ ** Avenger he’d love to meet, he would want to be friends with Tony Stark. Every engineering school had multiple courses on the genius, basically _mooning_ and trying to figure out his tech. I mean, he was psyched to be called in by Steve but if it had been anything other then Avenger business, Scott would have wanted to meet Tony. But the last few years, even for all the genius’ achievements… well being with Hank hadn’t helped his opinion on Tony. Hank hated Starks and being close to him had rubbed some of that distaste onto him, but man, he had to rub it in with ‘ ** _Hank Pym always said, you never can trust a Stark_** ’, plus not saying anything to Clint’s jab at the injured War Machine.

Stark’s visit and being locked up in the Raft had been a wake-up call. A voice in his head -which sounded a lot like Hope and Maggie combined- urged him to shut up and watch, really look at everyone with him. Headcount, there was Clint, Wanda, Sam. He recognized the inmate qualities they all were emoting right now. 3 years of watching his fellow convicts made him aware of the motions to some degree. Clint is pacing, fuming in his cell, that won’t last long otherwise he’ll just drive himself crazy. ' _At least he wasn’t shouting, small mercies_.' Wanda was clawing at the collar they gave her, again, he had begun to look at this objectively. Magic wasn't normal, so it made sense they had to interfere it... even if the collar was grim. He got a glimpse of what she could do at the airport and to be honest it sort of scared him. Like being near a wild animal, he just wanted to be as far as possible from her. No rhyme nor reason just instinct saying she was lethal. Her face seemed to be warped into sadness and fury that well… god, he couldn’t really feel pity for her? After how much her anger fueled her, left him skeptical of her in general.

Then there was Sam. Man, Scott had to feel for the guy… he was a staring blankly at a wall, a husk in compared to his former fighting spirit. Sam had been the one to contact him via a string of Luis’ contacts. Poor Sam was probably wrestling with his feelings. He had just given Stark the super soldier's location in hopes the older inventor _**would go as a friend**_. He didn’t know how to feel about that...Stark was the one responsible for everything that went down, at least according to Wanda and Clint. Even Sam seemed to distrust the man, but he also made the call to send Stark to help them.

Between the 3 of them, Scott thought Sam would be able to adjust best to being incarcerated. Clint would drive himself insane while Wanda would either violently free herself or shut down eventually. He knew that he did fine, seeing as this wasn’t his first time. The Raft was far more isolated than his past prison, but a jail is a jail regardless of how high tech it was. He and Sam were 2 normal guys in comparison to the rest of the team, they just had tech on their side. He couldn’t even include Clint or Stark in that… Clint had skill and Stark had his mind as his weapon of choice.

He had a sobering thought of how seeing Cassie had been the dream he held onto during his 3-year incarceration. He thought he would never give that up for anyone… yet he was here, locked up again, without hope of seeing her ever again. He missed her like crazy, that wasn't new. What was new was he didn't even know when he'd see here again. There was no time limit to this sentence as far as he knew. He hadn't even said goodbye to his little girl. He just left, no call to Hope, hell he didn’t even explain to Maggie what was going on.

‘Did they show it on the news?’ Scott frantically thought, ‘Cassie watching him throw War Machine and rip up an airplane on the news? What would they think? God, he hoped they understood that he was fighting with Captain America.’ That was another thing. Would the media know that they were doing the right thing? Cap was leading them, so they had to know right? I mean… yeah, Cap hadn’t told Stark what was going on, or the government, or… you know what? Steve had a plan, that maybe Scott didn’t know yet but hey! They will get there, eventually. He had to have a plan, that’s Captain America’s thing. The man with a plan... yeah?


	8. ExAvengers: Scott Lang Again

_"Mommy, is daddy a bad man? I heard some grown-ups talking. They said he was bad." "...Daddy just gets confused sometimes."_

Steve decidedly did NOT have a plan. Scott felt his bicep flex with the urge to smack himself. If anything Steve was fucking lucky. He got by the skin of his teeth, at this point the rose tint was gone and Scott was currently on the path of never ever EVER seeing his daughter again. Hell, it would be lucky if any of these people set foot in the US again. ‘What have I done?’ Maybe he should have stayed in the raft, but the epic rescue was so inviting, feeding his confidence in the star-spangled idiot.

Now look where they were, on the outer borders of a country they weren’t even allowed to explore, for sanctuary. Wakanda was as tightly sealed as a high security safe, the prince, wait the King -who Scott had yet to apologize to for the fight, seriously he needed to do that- had provided a small building, more like studio if anything for them to stay in. The rules seemed simple, Scott had no problem with them unless the rest of the team. No. 1: Stay on the property, there was even a small secluded garden. The building was wrapped around by a high hedge-like plant to obscure it from passersby. Not that there was a lot of people hanging about.

From the explanation, the closest tribe was the Border Tribe, and a man by the name of W’Kabi would be monitoring them. The meeting with him had been the tense as if watching them was a punishment from the King instead of just an order. No. 2: Use the resources provided wisely, meaning they got food every week as well as soap and other bare necessities. Plus, their media was restricted. With only one TV and no computer, they had to rely on the World News stations, seeing as they couldn’t understand the Wakandian stations.

So far these didn’t seem too crazy, for him at least. But man did Wanda and Steve lose it, it was another jail for them. It took the willpower only a parent could muster to not remind them that this was the nicest prison Scott had been in. But not having access to everything your heart desired was such a hurdle for them. Living with Stark must have been something else because all Wanda could do was complain that she didn’t have all her stuff and sharing food with a super soldier who ate at least twice as much as everyone else was another hassle. Stark must have just catered to them, they weren’t his kids so what the hell?

Lastly was less of a rule, more like a non-negotiable condition, was that Barnes would be separated from them. Either to go back in the ice or for healing process with the King’s sister. All Scott had wanted to do when that came up was run from the room. Between an enraged Steve and an equally intimidating, if not more aggressive man named M’Baku coming head to head with the super soldier, Steve might have snapped. M’Baku pointedly informed them that King’s the offer of sanctuary had been extended to Barnes alone, but he was willing to keep. God, if he had known that he wouldn’t have followed Steve out of the Raft, shieldless and without a plan. He was lucky that the King was even allowing them to stay and he wanted to argue? No thanks, he would be fine with what he got.

After that, he had expected Steve to finally let them know what their next steps would be. But it never came. Instead, it seemed like the entire team began a routine of wakeup, news, eat, news, exercise, news, eat, news, eat, then bed only to rinse and repeat. It had been like this for about a month and it was driving him crazy. He wasn’t the only one, Clint had a series of bruises on his knuckles from punching his bedroom wall in frustration and anger. He had given Steve his two burner phones, only to find out that one was sent to Stark while Steve held the other with his life. So there went any of their ways to communicate with the outside world, if the Wakandians didn’t confiscate it.

In this month, Scott had ditched the hero worship of these pack of loons. Apart from Sam, who he knew had a good heart and head but got was still neck deep in Captain America Kool-Aid, the rest were just bad. Bad and most of all _selfish_ , which made his skin crawl. He had always wanted to help people, and even his not so legal activities came from that desire. But Wanda? Fueled by revenge and entitlement that Steve and Clint did nothing to correct. She wasn’t a kid, so why were they treating her like one? It didn’t make much sense, seeing as she was almost as old as Steve physically. Then there was Clint, he would have said was like him, a man of action and movement. The truth was really, Clint was a good _follower_ , _useful_ and **_loyal_ ** without looking at all the facts. It made sense that Cap called him in, Clint needed a higher purpose and jumped at the chance to be useful again. He hadn’t heard anything about the archer’s family since they had met… Sam had told him Clint even had kids and a wife back home, hoping it would encourage Scott to get to know the man. It did quite the opposite.   

It was Steve that Scott got the worst vibes from nowadays. This whole situation, ~~war whatever you~~ wanted ~~to call it~~ , wasn’t about the _Accords_ , wasn’t even about the _team_ . It was about Tony and Steve fighting because at the end of the day Steve didn’t trust Tony. Like period, Tony could have the only cup of water in a desert and Steve would rather _**dig his own grave**_ it seemed. And yeah, Scott had chatted with the guards, he got the story from people who were not involved.

Tony had backed an inevitable legislation to oversee the Avengers, like the check and balances on law enforcement or military, so that he could **_keep his say_ ** in what was written. Steve had seen that as a betrayal and suddenly Tony and _his_ Avengers were no longer the in-group. Then like a bunch of thugs, Steve _dragged_ them all into his war with Tony. The Accords were in the works for years, but **_nooo,_ ** Steve, Clint, Wanda were all sure that they were ‘Starks Accords’. They hadn’t thought of everyone else it would affect, just themselves. Watching the news together was a pain, as the peanut gallery had no shyness whenever the Accords were mentioned.

 

> “Fucking Stark, when is he going to show his face”
> 
> “Maybe he died, good riddance”
> 
> “Stark was misguided, but he’ll see we are needed soon and call us home”
> 
> “Yeah when he does, he better start groveling or he is getting an arrow to the face”
> 
> “Like Stark would ever grovel, he will just give us pretty trinkets... as if that makes up for his sins”
> 
> “Man, wait till another major disaster happens, that will show all these people. They are so quick to villainize us.”
> 
> “Like Stark is a hero, it makes me sick. That _Bastard_ throws his blood money and it all works out for him”
> 
> “Where is Stark? Him not showing like that, it's such an underhanded publicity stunt”

  
Scott was _**sick**_ of it! If it wasn’t for the fact none of the bedrooms had doors -yet another thing the trio had stomped their feet about- he would have just stayed in his room all day. Just listening to them stew in their own anger brought his mood low. _They were insane_ , just the **_nonsense_** spewing from them caused his head to pound. He found peace in the garden, where he spoke to the few guards when they were around. But tonight, he’d sit there with them, quietly watching. Nothing seemed to change in their corner of the world the past month and a half…. Until Tony Stark was sitting across from some Late-Night Host that they caught by chance. Steve’s face morphed into one of worry -which put Scott even more on edge if he was honest- when he looked up from his dinner to see the billionaire's face on the screen.

 

> “Tony?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, how did you like me adding a bit of Black Panther in there? Also, I am really enjoying telling you (The reader) what's going on via people's accounts. I am trying to give some of the ExAvengers a bit of redemption? Not fully and really just those I think would have real remorse. So that's Scott and Sam?
> 
> Check me out on Tumblr: @runawaywithmeletsgo


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